This is a big post, for sure. It can branch into a million different things, but I'll try to focus this as just a summary. Side note, I was inspired to write this when I made Yonanas "ice cream" for my kid and realized it was a great way to hide real fruit.
My Journey:
It sucks! Currently, I'm 162lbs, 4' 10", size 6 shoes and a 38 DD boob size. Short, big boobs and tiny feet makes me a little off balance, fun to stand next to since I make you feel tall, and a great pillow. I was an average 135lb through out high school, sky rocketed to 150lb through out college, and up to 185 while pregnant. Being short is fun when you're not disproportionate. When you are, it's often humiliating, and a struggle with learning to love the person you are. Even today, I'm not quite there. I've found myself near tears when I'm clothes shopping. I'm always looking for ways to exercise without knowing I am, and eating healthy without knowing it, in hopes to drop those last 30-50 pounds. I've done diet pills, tried not eating, Sensa, Weight Watchers, exercise, less carbs, less sugar, less everything, it's hard and yields little results for me. To sum it up, my journey is long, hard, and still in progress.
Things that have helped, even if I'm not where I want to be:
1. Weight Watchers. I won't endorse them like all the ads. I'm just saying, they've helped. When I tracked appropriately, I saw just how much I was putting in me, and I found ways around it. Also, the solidarity of friends, or strangers with a common goal was nice. Getting people to tell me first hand what helped them was nice, so the meetings were good to go to when I had the chance.
2. Work. I work a basic sales/service job. Always on my feet, running one way or another, it was good. I got my cardio in for sure, and all the lifting was good for muscles. At the end of some days, I was beat! Lifting, moving, smiling and helping is just my job, but it helps a lot compared to the days that I'm stuck at home.
3. Shopping. Oh yes, Baby! I have to control my wallet a lot, but window shopping at the outdoor mall near by is great, so is walking around inside all over. Left and right, and just enjoying the window shopping in general. I can find things I like and only if it's on clearance or a great sale will I actually buy something. I'd often go with my kid in the stroller and roam around. There's bathrooms, food and drinks all around. I'm near some big malls, so I park at one end, and make a point to walk down the whole hall both ways before I'm free to go home.
4. Food substitutes. No, it's not exactly like the sugary, salty foods that I love. An apple chip does not replace a potato chip to my taste buds, and no, I'm not doing cauliflower for bread. You can if you want, but it's just not my thing. I get food on the go a lot, and need a lot of quick grab and go stuff. I do have dried apples instead of chips, I eat frozen fruit in place of ice cream thanks to Yonanas, and I eat sparkling Izzie and Ice drinks instead of regular soda. It's not easy, but when I have the time and money I can do it, and I prep it for easy no thinking situations. My main energy is still Monster drinks with zero sugar and zero calories.
5. Picky Groceries. Locally, our Woodmans is great for food and lots of variety, Costco is great for organics and healthy alternatives and I go to Walmart still for a good low price on select stuff. We're comfortable, but not rich, so we use every advantage we have to save money. Costco is nice, but it's not always good to get 3 lbs of bananas when your family barely eats 1lb.
6. Freeze it. Whenever I do get the motivation to make a smoothie or something, It always calls for fruit, but I don't always have fresh fruit on hand, so I get frozen fruit. It's like it's fresh, so it works well, and I can store it for ages. Same goes for the chicken breasts I get, and the vegetables. We got a second freezer for it all! I've been able to keep frozen Lean Cuisine meals and Lean Pockets in there for ages before I have the taste for them.
7. Stop thinking. Weightloss isn't just a physical thing, it's a mental thing. Don't over think it. Stress and hormones and medicine are all a factor in how your weight fluctuates. If you're on a lot of steroid medicines, it'll increase your weight. Just a dumb fact; I learned it first hand. Also, increased stress will decrease your ability to lose weight, so as much stress as there is with a kid and work and life, try to take a few mintues to zen yourself. Relax and calm down. Don't stress this thing, it's not a race, it's a marathon, and we're all going for the same goal.
I'll stop my list here, but as you can see, I try a lot of different things for a slow struggle with few results, but I do get results. I was 185 when I had my son, and after 2 years I've brought it down to the low 160s. I'm still working on that last 30-50 lbs but it's a never ending goal. In the mean time, I'll keep looking for hidden food and exercise cheats/substitutes that I can do. Good luck moms!
No comments:
Post a Comment